Hunter's Moon
by Albion19
Summary: The Huntsman is ordered to kill and bring the queen the pelt of a ferocious wolf. Graham gets more then he bargained for. Red/Huntsman and eventually Ruby/Graham.
1. Chapter 1

The Hunter's moon rises after sunset, giving him more light to search for his prey. Regina had ordered him to kill and bring her the pelt of a ferocious wolf that has been terrorising villages in the Enchanted Forest. He had complied but not before pleading with the Queen to reconsider but he knew it was useless. She could have got any of her other knights to track and kill the wolf, she could have even done it herself. No, she wanted him to do the deed as a test. To kill a wolf would break his heart and that is the very reason why she picked him. If he feels remorse or grief then she truly does not have his heart but if he brings back the pelt then she will be satisfied that he is wholly hers.

So with a numb sense of obedience Graham walks quietly though the forest, the special arrows the Regina had given him ready to draw and release. The silver tipped arrows are enchanted to find its target no matter the distance or obstacle in the way. Why she gave him the arrows when he never misses his prey he can not say but he carries them without question. The only doubt, and hope, is if he will be able to release the arrow when he finds the wolf. From the reports it is a wolf without a pack, an omega, and for the last few weeks has been taking livestock from farms. It is reported to be huge and violent but he doubts the last claim. If it is too dangerous to live why haven't there been accounts of human fatality? This question flees when he spots a farm through the trees and knows that he is at the right place. The wolf has been steadily targeting farmsteads along the edge of the forest and if he is right this one is next.

As the moon rises higher he settles down against a tree with a high vantage point and watches quietly as the light around him diminishes until he sits in bright moonlight. The lights in the farmhouse wink out as the inhabitants go to sleep and he shifts once, the first movement he has made in hours. Through the trees to his right a white shape moves and his hand reaches quickly into his quiver. But as the wolf's eyes shine in the dark he hesitates. He knows this animal, the white wolf had been his friend. Once he had avoided human company save for wolves and now even that is denied him.

With a muffled pang he watches the wolf slink towards a pig pen and the animals within begin to squeal, sensing that a predator is approaching. He stands, cocks an arrow and draws back the string. The silver arrow head glints in the moonlight and in the distance the wolf is a white streak in the dark. As the pigs begin to shriek lights in the farmhouse appear and he knows that he must fire before they confront the wolf. He knows this wolf, knows that it will fight to keep its prey. That was his fault and as he watches he realises it always has been. Wolves avoid humans and their settlements and hunt in the forests instead but the white wolf had been around him too much and became fearless. But he is not tame.

As the door to the house opens and a farmer appears with a flaming torch the huntsman draws back the bowstring as the wolf turns on the farmer. Whether he would have released it and killed his friend, thus proving that his heart is utterly the Queens he never finds out for in that moment another wolf appears. Graham sees in an instant he has been tracking the wrong animal.

The wolf is gigantic, its fur a dark brown and its gold eyes shine like embers in the dark. As it moves between the white wolf and the farmer he is too shocked to move. The farmer is similarly frozen and his torch flickers in the dark, casting light on the snarling white wolf. It is about to spring at the farmer but the bigger wolf snaps at it and immediately the smaller wolf lies down and shows its throat. A sign of submission.

The dark wolf approaches the farmer slowly, almost curiously and the farmer seems to come to his senses. With a small shriek he drops his torch and flees back into the farmhouse. Graham watches the white wolf stand up and run back into the forest with his tail tucked between his legs as the other wolf approaches the pig pen. The wolf will kill everything in sight. With a silent plea of forgiveness he loosens the arrow and in that instant the wolf looks right at him. The look in her gold eyes are like nothing he has ever seen and he suddenly wishes that he could call back the arrow. The look is far too knowing, far too surprised to be wholly beast. The wolf turns quickly, about to ran but the arrow strikes and the wolf yelps in pain but does not fall. Instead she runs into the forest, away from him.

He lowers the bow, knowing that he should give chase but he can not. He would rather die then skin that creature and in so deciding he knows that the Queen does not completely rule his heart.

* * *

He did not head back to the palace but instead stayed in the forest for the night. Setting up a camp fire he ate little and slept fitfully, his dreams filled with the never ending dying throws of the wolf. He wakes hours later, the forest still dark but dawn would be approaching soon. He rises and stares down the path that will take him back to the palace and the Queen. He could have gone back last night but the wolf he had hit stopped him. He has known since he was a child that any creature in pain should have its life ended swiftly if there is no hope for recovery. If this had been before Regina took his heart he would not have tarried and followed the wolf but now he has to fight to care.

Whatever compassion he has left wins out and with grim look back at the path he heads past the farm and in the direction the wolf had run. As he makes his way through the trees, hearing and vision alert for any signs of the wolf, he realises that he is not alone. Following at a distance is the other wolf, a white shadow that follows him everywhere. He and the wolf had been companions for years but he had been forced to abandon him when he became a knight. That had been months ago but the wolf had not left to find a pack. The huntsman is surprised he's still alive; solitary wolves don't last long. He turns and addresses the animal which stops.

"You're lucky you're not dead. You know better then to attack settlements."

The wolf, one black eye, one red, looks aside and then walks past him, so close that his fur brushes against his leg. He watches as the wolf sniffs and then darts further along the path and Graham smiles. It's just like old times. As the sun rises and the man follows the wolf the path becomes overgrown and the trees denser. As birds sing above his head sweetly he spots drops of blood on the ground and bends down to touch it. It's still warm. The dark wolf is close.

"Where is she?" He asks and the white wolf cocks his head.

The sun burns away most of the mist but this deep in the forest it lingers and swirls around his knees. In the distance he can make out ghostly trees. Because of the fog he does not see the figure lying on the ground but the white wolf runs directly to it and begins circling before sitting. Graham narrows his eyes, trying to see if it is the dark wolf and as he approaches he sees with a swoop of surprise that he hasn't been lead to the wolf but a woman.

"Miss? Are you all right?" He drops to his knees and touches one bare shoulder and turns her gently. She rolls onto her back and he averts his eyes. She is half naked, her breasts visible. It looks like she tried to dress herself but passed out before she could finish. He lowers his face to her mouth and her breath blows gently against his cheek. She is alive but only just. The blood that covers her hip and leg makes him look again while he pulls her clock over her chest. She has her hand pressed against the wound and he moves it away gently to look. His eyebrows climb when he realises that she has been hit with an arrow. She must have pulled it out. He looks suddenly up at the white wolf and then back down at the girl before shaking his head.

"Just a coincidence…" He picks up a shift lying next to her and presses it against the wound and the girl jerks awake. Blue eyes pin on him, sharp and alert before they cloud over with pain.

"My…my cloak," she whispers and he nods.

"Yes, it's covering you."

The girl shakes her head slowly, "No, the red — red one." She lifts a hand at the trees and he turns to see water rippling through them and to the left a cottage. The girl's arm falls back as she faints. The white wolf bends down to sniff her and then licks her shoulder before running though the trees towards the lake. The huntsman flicks his eyes back to the girl below him with a frown before gathering her up in his arms and stands. Making sure that she is decent he carries her back to the cottage that she must live in.

* * *

As he settles her down onto her bed he looks around and summarises that she must live alone. He looks back at her, every second forming new questions and stares around for something to bandage her leg with. He has a poultice she can apply to ward off infection and is just about to remove the cloak when she wakes suddenly. She takes one look at him before she peddles back in terror and he moves away swiftly, showing the girl his hands.

"You! It's you," she says through gritted teeth and he nods.

"I found you in the forest, remember?"

"No," she shouts and two spots of red appear on her pale cheeks. "You hit me!"

He blinks at her before looking at the wound in her thigh. It was from an arrow head. He had seen no arrow where she lay so he could not say if he had hit her by accident.

"I hit a wolf."

"Yes, you hit a wolf," she says, panting and sweat begins to drip down her face. She is in a great deal of pain. Graham shakes his head in confusion.

"Look I don't know what you think happened but I hit an animal, not a girl."

Blue eyes bright with pain regard him carefully before looking at her injured leg. She nods. "I am a girl…thank you for bringing me back, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome…" He stands there, not knowing what to say, do or think. Dark hair hides her face as she inspects the wound and blood drips onto the cover below her. The huntsman moves over to her and offers the poultice and she takes it from him gingerly, avoiding eye contact. She is pale and sick from pain and blood loss but he had seen from the first glance how beautiful she is.

"Thank you, I — I can take care of the rest myself," she says curtly and picks up a bodice and looks at him pointedly.

"Of course, I'll go…" He turns and moves to the open door but can not make himself leave. He looks back after a minute and sees her pulling down the bloody slip over her stomach and hips. She wipes the blood away and then inhales deeply before pinching two fingertips against the opening of the wound and with a scream that goes through him like a knife she removes a fragment of metal from her leg. She slumps against the headboard, panting and half conscious. He swears, comes forward and hurriedly presses a cloth against the pouring blood.

"Oh that hurt," she mutters with a weak smile.

"Are you insane? A physician should have done that. I could have fetched one."

"By the time you came back with one I would have been dead," she says calmly and he frowns.

"The wound was not that deep and there's no infection."

"It's not the wound I would have died from," she presses the splinter of metal into his hand and he looks down. It is silver. He stares at it as if he can't quite believe what he is seeing. Slowly he looks up at her and she smiles at him, delirious from the pain. She rises and he grabs hold of her arm quickly. He stares into her eyes in disbelief.

"I hit _you_ last night? You?"

"I was…I was trying to stop my friend from killing," she says tiredly, swaying and he lowers her back down onto the bed. Her eyelids flutter closed but before she falls asleep she whispers something to him, clutching his arm hard. "Don't tell…promise?"

"I — I promise," he says and she slumps into unconsciousness from the pain.

* * *

He should be back at the palace but he can not leave. She sleeps for hours and little by little her face grows rosy. He had tended to her wound while she slept and he checks on it now. On his knees he shakes his head in wonder. The wound is growing smaller.

"I don't know what you are but I would like whatever makes you heal so fast."

"You wouldn't," she says softly and he looks up. Her eyes are open and while they look tired she appears lucid. He helps her sit up and remains staring at her on his knees. She regards him carefully, almost suspiciously.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"Most people call me the huntsman but it's Graham. What's yours?"

"…Red. You're one of the Queen's knights?" She eyes his armour, half of which has ended up on the cottage floor. Even after all this time he does not wear it well.

"I'm her official huntsman," he says and she looks away with a frown. At the open door the white wolf sleeps, blocking the threshold. She smiles, seeming to take heart from the sight, and then looks back at him.

"You didn't have to stay, I'm fine now," she is eager for him to leave. Not that he can blame her, he did shoot her.

"I mean you no harm."

"Not like this, you just kill wolves," she responds flatly and he bristles.

"If I had a choice in the matter I'd see all wolves protected."

She snorts and looks away and he has to stop himself from losing control. Instead he inhales deeply and she looks back at him. "Then what happened last night?"

"The Queen ordered me to track and kill a wolf that had been killing livestock and frightening villagers. Whatever she commands I must do."

Red eyes him sceptically, "Well if that was true I'd be hanging up on a wall by now…" Graham smiles and she blinks in confusion. "What? Did I say something funny?"

"No, I'm relieved that I still have some control over my life." He lets his smile fade and gazes at her intently, making her blush and looks away. "Sorry I just can't get my head around it."

"Around what?"

"You can turn into a wolf. I have heard of the tales of course, heard about them my whole life, but I've never actually met someone who was one."

Red shifts uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze and shrugs, "Maybe you still haven't. I was in a lot of pain and talking nonsense. Just forget it."

"You're still frightened of me. I swear to you I will not hurt you," for the first time in months he feels something other then the dull and numb servitude that had filled him. He feels excited and intrigued by the girl who right now would like him as far away as possible.

"It's you who should be frightened of me," she says quietly and pain wells up in her eyes. Graham shakes his head.

"I do not fear you, no more then I fear him," he jerks his head to the white wolf who lifts his head. He whistles sharply and the wolf gets up and goes to him. Red watches in guarded wonder as Graham scratches the wolf under the chin and he smiles at her. Slowly, tentatively, she smiles back.

"You won't capture me?"

"Never."

"You — you're really not scared of me?" she stares at him in confusion and Graham tells her about his childhood and what lead him to becoming one of the Queen's knights. Red listens attentively, stopping him only to ask questions or offer sympathy. But when it comes to the part about the Queen taking his heart he falters and could not tell her the truth.

"If she finds out that the wolf is a shifter she will have these woods scourged to find you."

Red shakes her head, her expression a mixture of sadness and anger. "I know that I am dangerous and I should live in isolation to protect people but I'm tired of moving. When they find out what I am they drive me out, try to kill me…" she looks down, her chin wobbling.

"I won't tell anyone and I won't hunt you." He gets up and stretches while she reaches over to play with the wolf's ears. He looks between them and cocks his head. "What were you doing there last night?"

"Our friend here, for some reason, finds it hard to hunt. When I found him he was half starved. He would go to people's homes and steal food before moving onto eating pets and cattle instead of hunting in the wild. I've been shadowing him, making sure he behaves himself."

"It's my fault. I used to catch us both food and his instinct to hunt for food lessened. When I moved to the palace he had to fend for himself. Sorry Shadow," he says and the wolf looks up at him, tail swishing back and forth against the floor. Red smiles at him.

"You caught me by surprise," she says with a flare of good humour, "I've been hunted before but I've always been able to out run them."

"Well you've never had to deal with me before," he says arrogantly and then flashes a grin. He looks at the empty fire place and then back at her. "Will you be able to start a fire?"

"In a few hours, I should be healed enough by then," she swings her legs around and settle her feet on the floor. Graham offers his hands and after a moments hesitation she places her hands in his. Teeth clenched and white faced she gets to her feet. She holds her left foot off the floor and with Graham's help moves over to a rocker by the fireplace. She sits, breathing hard and stares up at his guilty looking face.

"I'm sorry you're in this pain. I shouldn't have waited to find you."

"You could have just left me and never returned. Or killed me…so thank you," she slips her hands away from his and settles them in her lap. Graham stands awkwardly, not knowing if he should stay but wanting to.

"I should go," he says and she looks up at him quickly. She nods in understanding but he couldn't ignore the flash of distress in her eyes. Or how lonely she seems. He rubs his hand through his hair, "Do you live here alone?"

"Yes. My granny visits every week when she can but I try to avoid people."

Graham narrows his eyes in thought. "But you only need to be away from people for three days. You don't have to cut yourself off completely. Why are you?" he asks gently but Red shakes her head and averts her eyes, giving him no answer. "How old are you?" he asks suddenly.

"Twenty one. How old are you?" she responds with a smile.

"Twenty five."

"And you spent most of your life living with wolves? Longer then I have…" she looks at the empty grate, loosing focus and Graham takes the opportunity to gather some wood and stack in it the hearth. When the flames appear she blinks and looks up at him.

"I really should go now otherwise the Queen will think I've tried to escape. Again." He inclines his head in farewell and is about to step back when she reaches forward and grabs his hand.

"I shouldn't ask, I know I shouldn't but do you think you could come back?"

"You want me to? I almost killed you."

"And there's a risk that I could do the same to you. It's just that you're the first person, beside Granny and my friend, who doesn't fear me." Her eyes gleam with tormented hope and longing and while his heart does not break he does feel something, a numb ache of pity. He knows that sense of loneliness and the need to fill it.

"I'll come back in three days time. I don't want to draw attention to this place so I can't come everyday."

"I know you've got your own life. Thank you Graham," she says happily and gets to her feet and limps with him over to the door. She leans against it as he walks out of the cottage and turns to her. She is bedraggled, her hair wild and her skin pallid but in that moment he is struck by how beautiful she is. Like the dull ache he felt before this emotion spreads through him warmly. Red waves at him, smiling shyly and watches him leave, the white wolf by his side.

* * *

**_a.n:_**

_so I know there are like three other people who ship these two lol. Once we found out she was a wolf and his whole wolf upbringing and affinity they just seemed perfect. Lupine Lovers ;)_

_If I continue the story it should cover their growing relationship in FTL before moving onto the second half set in Storybrooke. If anyone is interested in more please let me know :)_


	2. Chapter 2

When he returns to the Queen he does not come empty handed. One of his enchanted arrows is unaccounted for and so as not to arouse suspicion he set a trap for another animal and presents that pelt to her instead.

"A mountain lion?"

"Yes, it was a long way from home," Graham says as the Queen inspected the fur.

"So it would seem. And how did it feel to take its life Huntsman?" She straightens, her mouth quirked.

"I felt nothing," Graham shrugs and the Queen mimics him.

"_That_ I know," she says with some annoyance and Graham hides his surprise. If he feels no emotion it is because of her and yet it seems even she is regretting her decision. She sits with a sigh before a mirror and dismisses him with a wave of her hand. He bows and retreats.

Once out of sight of the Queen and her many mirrors he allows himself a sigh of relief. He has fooled her and Red is safe. For the next three days he performs his duties as normal, accompanying the Queen on hunts and killing animals with little to no feeling but as the days draw on slowly he starts to experience an old emotion. He is impatient, eager even, to get back to the cottage beside the lake. He wants to see her again and as the morning of the third day dawns he leaves the castle and enters the forest with almost a spring in his step.

* * *

The trees around him spread out colourful canopies, the leaves a combustion of greens, reds and oranges and as he stares around he reclaims some of the appreciation that was lost to him. The woods are beautiful and this is where he belongs. As he comes to the tree line a flock of migrating geese fly overhead and land in the lake. It is the season to shoot birds but he leaves them to swim in peace. Red's cottage comes into view and he walks out into the open, that eagerness to see her intensifying quite painfully. Why he feels such an emotion he can not say. Their affinity for wolves certainly has a pull but it is something else, something primal that drives him on.

As he gets to the cottage he knocks on the door but no one answers. He moves to a window and peers inside. The cottage is empty. He looks back at the lake, beginning to worry. Maybe he shouldn't have left her when she was injured, maybe her wound was more grievous then he thought. Graham scans the lake and surrounding trees and begins to head in that direction when a noise makes him turn.

Coming around the side of the cottage is an elderly lady with grey hair and beside her is Red. She is dressed in a red cloak, the hood up and when she spots Graham her face lights up with a beaming smile. He starts to smile back when the old lady suddenly lifts up a small crossbow and Graham jerks to a stop.

"Granny!" Red cries in outrage but the old woman eyes him suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?"

"I uh, I was coming to," he stops when Red shakes her head behind her grandmother's back and he changes tack. "I was coming to this area to hunt."

"Hunt what?" she asks, looking even more mean. The crossbow points at his heart steadily and he has to stop the need to laugh suddenly.

"Birds. I've been tracking the passage of a flock. See," he points at the geese in the lake and turns back to Red and her Granny. The elderly woman hesitates before lowering her crossbow but she still regards him disdainfully, eyeing his uniform. The armour he had ditched.

"You're one of the Queen's knights?"

"I'm not much of a knight. I'm a huntsman."

"Not much of a huntsman either it seems," she replies and Red hides her shocked smile behind a hand. "Those birds are as tough as me. They're not for eating."

"Right, of course," he and Red share a secret look of bemusement before he steps back and bows to them. "I'll leave you in peace." He glances quickly at Red and she nods politely before turning with her grandmother towards the cottage.

Graham walks back into the forest and waits for the old woman to leave. Half an hour later she does, casting swift looks through the trees. Graham remains quiet and still, watching her walking further and further away until she is gone. The sun long past the zenith he returns to the cottage and Red meets him at the door with a grin.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know she was coming and I was trying to get her to leave before you came."

"It's okay. She's something your grandmother."

"She's a battleaxe," she says fondly. "She worries about me, she wants me to go back living with her but I can't. Not there," her gaze loses focus and she becomes solemn. Graham looks back at the lake and sees with some amusement that Shadow the wolf is prowling along the edge of the lake, eyes fixed on the geese. When he looks back Red is staring at him in consideration. Suddenly self-conscious he straightens and looks down.

"Sorry, would you like to come in?"

"Thank you," he says and steps into the cottage, a little thrown at the formality that suddenly exists between them. The cottage is spotless and in the oven something is cooking, the smell making his mouth water. Graham looks back at her as she closes the door and removes her red cloak.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I usually heal straightaway but silver is the exception," she grimaces and takes a seat at the kitchen table, gesturing for him to sit opposite. He stares across at her, taking in the blue of her eyes and her full lips. It is a mouth made to smile. She is strikingly beautiful and he knows if she was at court or even in a village she would be inundated by proposals. But here she is a recluse and not even twenty five. Red blushes a little at his open scrutiny but takes the opportunity to do the same. Their eyes meet and they both smile in embarrassment.

"Forgive me," he says and smiles.

"Only if you will. I don't get to see many people out here. Occasionally I'll see men from the nearby village hunting but I don't approach them."

"Why not? I said before that you're only a threat on three nights a month. You can live a normal life excluding those days."

Red shakes her head and gazes at him sombrely. "That's the thing; I'm not normal even when there is no full moon. I have the senses of a wolf now. I could smell you coming from a mile away. I can see a bird in a tree of the other side of the lake through the window. I can hear your heart beating," she looks at his chest and Graham smiles sadly.

"I don't have a heart."

"No? Then it must be something else thumping," she gets up and moves towards the oven and stirs a spoon in a pot of something that smells delicious. "When I found out what I was I tried to act normal, go on like nothing had happened but I couldn't. Even if I could once people find out they don't care, they want you gone. Not that I blame them…" she turns and regards him sadly. "I'm not just here because I was driven out; I'm here because this is the only place I deserve. I — I've killed people and until I can control myself I can't leave."

Graham gets up and goes to her. He gently takes her hand and she looks down. "You didn't kill that farmer the other night, you looked in control."

"Sometimes I'm not," she looks up. "On the last night of the full moon I can think more clearly but most of the time I can't control myself. It's like I'm a small voice in the back on my head on those nights, sometimes the wolf listens sometimes it doesn't. The moon obliterates everything, it gets into my blood and that's the only thing it listens to."

"Then you have to make it listen. You're the alpha," he says with a smile and she smiles back weakly. She looks down at their hands, watching the way his thumb brushes over her fingers.

"Thank you for coming back. I know it's dangerous, for both of us but I think I needed this." She stares into his eyes intently. "And maybe you did to?"

"I did," he whispers and gazes at her deeply. "When I said I don't have a heart I mean it. I don't feel anything anymore, at least before I met you but now I can. They're small but intense feelings and I don't know why or how I can have them but I do. Maybe it's because of what you are," he wonders and Red blinks and starts to slip her hand out of his.

"Oh, I see," she looks aside in disappointment and Graham mentally kicks himself. He takes hold of her hand again and makes her look at him.

"No, that's not what I meant. You're not some curiosity to me, something strange to be observed. You're probably the only person I've met that I feel normal with."

"Normal? I make _you_ feel normal?" she asks in bemusement.

"You don't hear the talk about me. The huntsman: prefers the company of wolves to people…and they're right. If I could have my way I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat. I might not be able to change like you but inside we're the same."

Red blinks slowly, her mouth parting as she processes the sincerity of his words and then her eyes rim with tears. She turns suddenly to the oven, her back to him and Graham stand close behind her, frowning.

"Have I said something wrong?"

"No," she shakes her head vigorously. "I just never thought I'd hear someone say that to me. I — I don't hate what I am, I fear it but I accept it. It's the only way I can control myself. I just never dreamed that anyone would want to be like me."

Her voice is guttural with unshed tears and Graham lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I meant every word. I know we don't know each other well yet but I want to."

She turns to him, her cheeks tear stained and she grins at him. "I'd like that very much," she sniffles and before he can move she suddenly wraps her arms around his neck. He pulls her against him, wrapping his arms around her and smiles into her hair. He has been sharing Regina's bed but the feel of Red in his arms is different. He wants to embrace her, that primal urge he couldn't identify made solid. He craves a mutual connection and as she fists at his shirt he knows she needs this just as much as he does. When she finally pulls herself out of his embrace he finds it hard to let go. He peers out of the window and sees with surprise that the sun is sinking. He looks back at her and Red is staring at him fiercely.

"If you keep coming back here then you have to promise me one thing."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Stay away at the full moon. If I hurt you or worse I'll never be able to live with myself. So please, please don't come here then," she speaks roughly and her eyes flash gold with the height of passion and he feels a corresponding throb at the hint of the wolf within. Graham nods.

"I promise."

"Good. Now sit and I'll serve dinner. You're the first person, besides Granny and my friend, who has been lucky enough to try my culinary skills. Prepare to be amazed."

"That's a bold claim," he sits and stares at her in amusement.

She grins rather rapaciously at him before opening the oven, "I caught it myself."

* * *

Over the next three months they see each other as often as they can. They hunt together, talk and eat and soon the desire for companionship begins to outweigh their need for secrecy. As the first frost of the year covers the ground Graham makes his way towards the cottage with a troubled heart. He has not seen Red for almost three weeks because the Queen would not let him leave. Over the months she has become suspicious and his excuses run thin but he has taken the Queens suspicion seriously. She must not find out about Red because he has no doubt that they will both feel the brunt of her disapproval. Regina does not love him anymore then he loves her but she is jealous of her possessions and guards his heart like a malicious and greedy dragon.

He is drawn to Red more everyday and he can not deny that his simple need for company is not the only reason he makes this journey. Somehow she has found a way into his heart, an impossible feat but she has done it. And it is this love that causes him such grief. For while he feels more now then he has done in years he can not love her to the outmost degree. His emotions are still dull, the happiness and desire he feels sometimes just an echo. The only times he feels anything acutely is when he is closest to her or when passing the vault containing his heart. It pines for completeness and he knows he must have it back or not at all. Red deserves someone who will love her with their whole heart, not just the shadow of one.

Mist hovers through the cold forest, obscuring the lake and above a pale moon hangs in the sky. Tomorrow she will transform but he could not delay in seeing her after such an absence. When he walks into the clearing she appears out of the mist, her red cloak in stark contrast against the swirling whiteness around them.

"Where have you been?" she cries and runs forward, her hood falling back and he is almost bowled over when she reaches him. She twines her arms around his shoulders and he can not stop himself holding her.

"The Queen is growing suspicious. She wouldn't let me leave and then I was worried about coming here in case I was followed," he pulls back and cups her face and she gazes up at him. Her eyes flash gold and he knows she has no control over it. He smiles and brushes back a lock of dark hair.

"I was scared something happened to you. I almost came to the palace."

"Don't do that. I'm fine, see?"

She nods and brushes her cold fingers over his face tenderly, her eyes lingering on his lips and he watches expectantly as her mouth parts. He knows when a full moon approaches her emotions become heightened. She becomes happier, sadder and angrier. Carnal. But those desires she fights against and though he sometimes dreams about kissing her it has never happened. She wants to be his friend, that is all and he had graciously agreed. But in these moments when they find themselves close that agreement seems flimsy.

"I missed you," she whispers and her mouth almost brushes against his. He leans back a little, her proximity clouding his thoughts and he nods.

"I — I can't stop thinking about you. I dream about you, I pretend you're there by my side when I hunt. Everywhere."

"Because we make such a good team," she says with a small laugh. It is true, together they are unbeatable.

"You make me feel alive but…it's not fair on you."

She blinks, her smile fading. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't be what you want. You've given me so much but in return," he shakes his head sadly and her confusion turns to dismay.

"You've given me everything! Before I met you I was miserable and so lonely. I never thought I could feel like this again but I do and it's because of you."

Graham takes hold of her hands and gazes at her intensely. "If I had my heart it would be different but these feelings, which shouldn't be there in the first place, are just ghosts. I know I can feel more, I want nothing else but I can't and you don't deserve that."

He releases her hands and steps away but she pulls him back with a low growl. Her eyes are now constantly gold. "It's not up to you to decide what I deserve. I shouldn't feel this way about you, I shouldn't have let myself but I do. You have no idea how scared I am that I'll kill you and I know I should avoid you but I can't. You call your feelings ghosts but that's not true, I refuse to believe that. Otherwise you've just been pretending all these months."

"No," he says and pulls her back into his arms. "I swear. I'm not telling you this to hurt you but to spare you a future pain. I know you don't believe me but I truly do not have a heart. The Queen is a witch and she took it."

Red looks at him, her mouth open in horror. "She took your heart?" She presses her hand against his chest and he takes hold of her wrist.

"She took away my ability to care. Before I met you I felt nothing. It's like I'm in a bubble and things bounce off. Sometimes they seep in but it's diluted and dull. All the things I used to love and cherish are ashes now. I don't know why but with you I feel again, there's vibrancy and joy…but it's not enough. I want to stay here with you but this hollowness drives me to distraction. I want to feel with my whole heart, not just half of it."

"Then you must get it back!" she says fiercely but he shakes his head.

"I can't. The Queen has it in an enchanted vault. I'll die before she gives it up," he says despondently while Red thinks of a solution but he knows it's useless. He has tried to retrieve it only to be met with disappointment each time. He cups her face and she looks up at him, tears in her eyes again. "So you see? That's why I should go. I don't deserve you."

He holds her tightly, savouring the feel of her against him before turning to leave but she tugs him back and kisses him. The moment their lips touch he gasps as a flood of emotion washes through him and with a groan he pulls her into his arms. Her mouth parts and he deepens the kiss which grows more passionate and wild with every second. She moans and buries her hands in his hair while he picks her up and they stumble backwards. Her back hits the wall of her cottage and they break away for air.

"Stay," she says breathlessly as he kisses her throat but as she says this Red looks up and sees the pale moon in the sky. The sight of it seems to shock her and she squeezes her eyes shut, trying to ignore it but as he moves to kiss the corner of her mouth she opens her eyes to stare at him sadly.

"What's wrong?"

"This can't happen now, it's too dangerous," she motions to the sky and he turns to look up at the moon.

"It's not full yet. We have until tomorrow night," he says and turns back to her. He moves towards her mouth but she averts her face and he groans against her neck. "You won't hurt me."

"That's why I want you to take this. If I hurt you or anyone else I want you to use it." He leans back as she pulls something from a pocket in her petticoat and he looks down to see the sliver of silver he had shot her with all those months ago. He looks up, shaking his head.

"Never."

"This isn't debatable," she says firmly and moves towards the cottage door.

"Tough. You'll have to find someone else to do it."

"You're the only one that can. You're the Huntsman."

"And you're the Big Bad Wolf. I'll never hurt you again," he stops her on the threshold and she turns with a sad smile.

"And I never wish to harm you," she sighs tiredly. "Aren't we a pair?" She smiles again, gazes up at the sky and inhales deeply. "Looks like you'll have to stay here the night anyway."

"Why's that?" He follows her into the cottage, the desire he felt earlier rising again.

"Because snow is on the air." She closes the door and locks the bolt.

* * *

**_a.n:_**

_next chapter should rise to M ;)_


	3. Chapter 3

As snow begins to fall steadily a fire crackles behind the grate, embers popping every now and then to interrupt the silence. They had eaten earlier, talked quietly and now as night falls they watch the snow falling outside.

"Early this year…" he says and turns to her as she sits on her bed. She had removed her red cloak and placed it on a peg. It is never out of reach and she confesses that most nights she sleeps with it over her.

"We'll have to dig our way out come morning," she stares at him a little nervously and Graham rubs the back of his head.

"I can sleep on the floor. I've done it often enough," he says amiably but Red gets to her feet and comes to him. She looks up into his face, her eyes flicking to his lips and, with a quirked mouth, she leans up to kiss him. Unlike their first kiss this one is tentative and he kisses her back softly. When she curls a fist around his shirt and pulls him slowly towards the bed he breaks away.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," she says, gazing at him with confidence and he lowers his mouth to hers again. Her lips part under his and she swipes her tongue along his lip playfully before kissing him deeply. He wraps his arms around her and lifts her off the floor and they fall onto the bed. He begins to undress her slowly, taking his time but she arches under him impatiently, her eyes gleaming in the dark. Above the snow clouds the moon is almost full and as she had told him before it gets in her blood and drives her wild.

"Someone is impatient," he teases, pulling the lace from her bodice as she groans.

"I can't help it. Please," she begs and he takes pity on her. Gripping the edges of her bodice he pulls it apart and she sits up, lifting her arms so he can pull the garment over her head. Now only in her slip, her hair a wild cloud around her head and her lips red from his kisses he gazes at her longingly.

"You are beautiful."

She smiles shyly, looking down before she moves onto her knees and tugs at his shirt, pulling it over his head. Her fingers trace a few scars that he has acquired over the years, her touch gentle and he shudders. When she lays her palm flat over his heart he takes her hand and quickly captures her lips. They kiss eagerly, their desire rising until he reaches down to hitch up her slip. He glides his hands up her legs before grabbing her hips and pushing her down. She lies below him, her chest heaving and he pulls her slip up over her body until she is naked below him. He quickly removes his breeches and moves between her legs, his eyes never leaving hers. When she feels his erection pressing against her thigh the eagerness that had consumed her dims and she looks anxious.

"Are you okay?" he asks and she nods.

"Yes, it's just I…I never…" she trails off, averting her eyes and he gently kisses her cheek.

"I understand. Don't be frightened," he whispers and gazes at her intently. Red nods and exhales a pent up breath. He smiles, kissing her mouth once before he starts to slowly kiss a trail along her body. She moans his name when he brushes his fingertips along her skin, skimming her nipples and she arches below him. She is hypersensitive because of the moon, every touch and kiss felt more acutely then at any other time. She glides her hand down his back before adding her nails and he utters a low growl against her stomach. He looks up at her, his eyes searing and she smiles wolfishly.

He spreads her legs and lowers his face between her thighs, kissing the soft skin there before going lower. Red frowns upwards before her eyes widen abruptly and she jerks, hands delving into his hair. Graham holds her hips still and for the next few minutes the cottage is filled with the noises of her laughing, moaning and finally screaming. Breathing heavily and sweating she utters small whimpers of sated pleasure as he makes his way slowly up her body, not a little pleased with himself.

"I feel like I'll never get up again," she mutters, the back of her hand pressed to her cheek but when he leans over her she cups his face and pulls him down to kiss her. One hand buried in her hair he lowers the other one between them and Red follows him. She brushes her fingers along his erection and he clenches his jaw and jerks when she wraps her hand around him. She strokes his length as he places both hands either side of her head and then she lifts her hips and guides him inside her. She does so slowly, biting her lip and he knows that she is feeling some pain. He kisses her and she grips at his shoulders, allowing him to thrust gently into her. He stops, closing his eyes at the sensation, and gives her time to recover before he pulls out and in again slowly. The pace they set is gentle but as she becomes more aroused he gradually begins to thrust faster until she is shouting at him to. She rolls her hips, her neck arched and her legs wrapped around his back and he buries his face in her hair, teeth gritted as his orgasm approaches. She clenches around him, wringing cries from him until he pounds into her wildly, making the bed creak. Her fingernails create small crescents against his skin as she scratches his back, pleasure rolling through her and he ejaculates, unable to hold back. He slumps against her, panting and sweating as she moans under him, her hips still bucking as she finds release. Finally he rolls off her to lie at her side.

"That was…not what I expected," she laughs and he smiles at her in confusion.

"No? Then what?"

"Oh when I was a girl they used to tell us lots of horror stories about it." Her smile fades and she rolls on to her side and settles her hand against his cheek. "They're all wrong."

"Well I'm glad to hear it," he says happily and they lie together in contented silence, watching the snow fall outside. As sleep begins to settle over them Graham blinks with a slow dawning realisation which makes him grin. Red cocks a brow, smiling sleepily.

"What is it?"

"I feel good. I mean I feel like my old self except…happier. It's like it's almost back." She places her hand back over his heart and he covers her hand with his own. He stares at the cottage wistfully. "I wish I could stay here always, just you and me. I feel like I'm coming home when I leave the palace now. I find it hard to go."

Red smiles, nuzzling her check against his shoulder. "You can stay if you want to. I'd like nothing more," she says gently and he stares at her sadly.

"It's not about what I want. If I stay here she will kill me. All she has to do is squeeze," he stares into the distance with a dark expression and she brushes her fingers down his face tenderly. "And I know she will take extra pleasure in it if she finds out about us."

"Why?" she asks innocently and he hesitates before speaking.

"I should have told you before but I'm not just one of her knights. I — I share her bed," he admits gently.

"Oh…" Red says and averts her gaze, her expression hurt. Graham quickly makes her look at him, finger under her chin.

"No, it's not like that. I have no choice in the matter; I have to do as she says. I don't want to but if I refuse she doesn't care."

Red's mouth falls open and she stares at him, appalled. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Graham," she says softly and pulls him closer to her. He sighs against her chest, relieved to have told her and content to be in her arms.

"There is no one but you," he says quietly, gazing up at her and she cups his face with a smile that seems to flicker.

"I thought I knew love before and when I lost it the pain of what I had done made me sort out a way to forget," her voice trembles with grief and her eyes rim with tears. Graham holds her, knowing she is thinking of Peter.

"I can understand why you'd want to. There's no shame in that."

Red shakes her head. "There is, it's cowardly and I did not go through with it. I would never want to forget you, no matter what might happen. You said that you feel more then ever before but your life is still in danger…I was going to get your heart back so you could feel again but it means more then that now."

Graham frowns, "You were going to steal it from the Queen?"

"It's not stealing if it never belonged to her. I won't just sit here and do nothing while you suffer," she says and her eyes gleam with a dangerous light. Graham leans up on an elbow and stares down at her sternly.

"But I can feel again now, I'm not suffering any more but I will if you try to get it back."

"But she has your life in her hands. If you don't get it back she'll always hold that threat over you. I will not see you tormented."

"But she'll kill one or both of us if you try. Leave it be," he says firmly and Red shakes her head, tears in her eyes.

"As long as she has it you can never be free. You can never be here. If it was me would you do nothing?" she asks passionately. Graham caresses her cheek with his thumb and stares at her lovingly.

"Nothing would stop me."

"Then you can't dissuade me. I love you and I will get your heart back," she looks at him steadily and he knows she will not be talked out of it. Graham sighs and lowers his lips to hers and then moves his mouth to her ear.

"I won't see you come to any harm. The Queen is cruel."

"I'm not defenceless and I'm not scared. She might be powerful but so am I. Next time I see her I'll rip her throat out," her violent promise has an ominous feel to it and Graham gazes at the wolf in human form and knows that she means every word. Shushing her brutal intentions with kisses they fall asleep as the snow steadily piles up around the cottage.

* * *

They next morning he awakes to find the bed empty. Immediately he knows that something is wrong. He rises and dresses before spotting a note on the table. He reads it quickly, his face growing redder with every second and with a curse he races for the door. The snow has been swept away from the entrance and he runs from the cottage. The letter reads:

_When you wake I will be gone. I know that you will be angry with me but I will face that if it means I can free you from her enslavement. When we meet again I will return your heart to you and we can both live as we wish to._

_Your love,_

_Red._

* * *

The winter day draws in quickly and before he knows it the sun is sinking, the full moon approaching. He runs along the snowy path to the palace, looking for any sign of her red cloak but she is nowhere to be seen. If she is being cautious she will wait until the Queen sleeps before slipping into the palace but by that time the moon will be up. If she wears her cloak she will stay a woman but Graham has a grim certainty that she will sort out Regina as a wolf. Panic beginning to shift into terror he hurries into the palace, heading towards the Queen's bedchamber, scared of the sight that might meet him. But as he peeks quietly into the room he finds it empty and undisturbed. He sighs in relief, about to close the door when one of the mirrors opposite him ripples and changes, showing him a corridor. Graham squints and sees that he is looking at himself peering into the room and behind something dark approaches. He stiffens, the hair of his neck rising and he can not look away from the mirror. A wolf stops behind him and with his breath caught in his throat he turns slowly to Red.

Golden eyes peer up at him and as he very slowly drops to his knees he sees that her gaze is not void of intelligence. Praying that he is right he submits himself to her mercy and bows his head. A quiet snarling fills the air but he remains still, mentally pleading with her to recognise him. He looks up as the wolf falls silent and watches her tilt her head, making these odd little yapping noises. If he doesn't know any better she almost sounds excited. Then, before he can react, she moves forward and lays one large paw against his chest. Graham smiles and then laughs and Red playfully paws at him, making him fall back.

"You did it, you have control." He smiles but then the mirror behind the wolf shifts, showing him another corridor, one that leads to the Vault of Hearts. Fear gone he gets to his feet and Red moves back. She sniffs the air and then with a burst of speed runs down the corridor and out of sight. Graham follows as quickly as he can, wondering why the Magic Mirror is helping him but as he sees Red slink through an open door the question vanishes. A spike of dread suddenly shooting through him he races to the door but it slams shut in his face before he can enter.

"Red! Red!" he shouts and from inside the room he can hear her growling and then suddenly yelping in pain, a noise that makes the hair stand on end. He bangs on the door, kicks at it and just as he's about to slam it with his shoulder the door opens.

"My dear Huntsman, no need to shout…" Regina drawls and he enters the room to see the Queen standing there with a pleasant smile. The front of her dress is ripped and at her feet is Red, now transformed back into a woman. Her red cloak is spread over her and as he watches she lifts her head weakly, her eyes clouded with pain.

"What have you done!"

"What I always do to thieves." She gestures to the vaults behind her and Graham's face grows pale.

"No, you haven't…" he drops down beside Red and helps er sit up. She grabs his hands, looking into his eyes.

"Don't listen to her," she mutters with difficulty and then jerks with a gasp of pain. Regina twists her hand, as if there is an invisible knife in it.

"Stop! Did you take her heart as well?"

It is Red who answers him, shocking him with a bark of laughter. "She can't take my heart, it's too wild to exist in one of her little boxes."

"She's right; if I did she'd die within days. Werewolves are strange beasts, are they not?" She asks Graham and he snarls at her which causes Regina to laugh.

"Huntsman it seems you have gone feral again. What am I to do with you?"

"Set him free," Red demands and Regina cocks an eyebrow at her before turning towards the vaults. She waves her hand and a box slides out and she picks it up.

"This is what you've come all this way for? Well I'm afraid you've had a wasted journey dear," she says with mock pity and takes the heart from the box. When she had magically extracted it from him his chest it had been a vibrant pink colour now it is barely visible, more like glass.

"What's wrong with it?" he asks.

"Love is what's wrong with it," she responds with disgust. "She's made you feel again and you've been reclaiming what I took from you for months. But not to worry it still serves one purpose without fault," she says and begins to squeeze. Graham gasps and falls to the floor, clutching at his chest.

"Stop! Stop or I swear I'll kill you!" Red yells and Regina laugh, squeezing harder. Tears in her eyes Red holds Graham as he begins to die and begs the Queen to stop, all fight gone.

Regina stops squeezing but does not relax her fist. Graham lies half unconscious and Red stares up at Regina with an expression ranging from rage to supplication.

"Please don't hurt him."

"If I crush his heart into dust he will die but it will be slow. Might take him a few months but he'll die. Would you like that?"

"No!" she almost howls.

"Not even if he got to spend those months with you?"

"No. I will not watch him die, even if it meant we could be together."

Regina blinks and after a convulsive squeeze her fingers relax. Graham gasps in relief and breathes more easily. Red lowers her head down, pressing her forehead to his before looking back up at Regina with hate in her eyes and she smirks at her.

"You're brave and I do value bravery…I can see why he fell for you," her gaze looses focus for moment and she almost looks sad before she pins Red with her eyes again. "Leave. You must never return or approach him. If you do I will kill him."

"I'd rather die," Graham mutters breathily and Red shushes him.

"If I leave and never see him again he'll be safe? And I don't just mean his heart. He must stop being your plaything," her lips draw back from her teeth as she says it and Regina appears taken aback. But she covers her fright with a smirk.

"Jealous dear?"

"Of you? I am a wolf, I'm shunned and hunted but I would spend a thousand years as what I am then one day as you. You have these hearts because you do not have one of your own; you take what you can not have. I think you must be very lonely."

Regina blinks and for a moment her eyes gleam wetly, "You're just a silly girl who has no idea what she's talking about."

"Maybe but I know what love is and you don't have it."

"Leave," Regina snarls and Red looks down at Graham who is unconscious. She lowers her lips to his and kisses him goodbye before standing, the cloak wrapped around her.

"Will you leave him alone?"

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't. That's not for you to know…but I will tell you one thing. For attempting to kill me I'm going to punish you," she says cheerfully. Red clutches at the cloak around her, knowing that if she attacks again Graham will face the consequences.

"There's nothing you can do to hurt me now, you've seen to that. I must never see him again."

"Oh that's not enough. Because I know one of you will be tempted to met again so I am taking that temptation away." She waves her hand and Graham gets to his feet, his eyes fluttering open. Regina stops before him and smiles.

"Don't hurt him! Red shouts and Regina laughs.

"I'm not going to hurt him, in fact I'm doing him a favour. When you leave this room he will forget you. All the months that you spent together, the friendship that you formed, will be gone. The love will be wiped away and he will be free of you. See? Aren't I merciful?"

Red stares at her in horror and a pain flares up in her chest. "He'll forget me?"

"Yes and that way he does not have to suffer the loss of his true love. But you will. That is your punishment for trying to bite me and presuming to take what is mine."

Tears falling down her face Red gazes at Graham sadly and as she watches the recognition begins to fade from his eyes. With her heartbreaking she moves listlessly to the door, her head bowed but when she speaks it's laced with venom.

"I couldn't take what you never had in the first place. I will avenge him, it might take years but one moonlit night I will tear your heart out and eat it," she promises in a flat, dead tone and walks from the vault as Regina screams for her guards. Red runs from the palace and once she is safely in the forest she transforms. That night the forest is filled with the lonely howls of a wolf and it can be heard echoing eerily through the palace. Graham goes to the window, his mind oddly blank and listens to the sound with a peculiar longing he cannot understand.

* * *

Months later the Queen and her Huntsman form a hunting party and they roam through the forest, searching for a stag. As he ventures on ahead he stops when he sees movement to his left. Between two trees is the biggest wolf he has ever seen, eyes shinning like gold coins in the gloom. He lowers his bow, almost enchanted by the sight and the wolf begins to move towards him but then the Queen calls his name and he turns away. When he looks back the wolf is gone but through the trees he can just make out someone in a hooded red cloak, a speck of colour moving further away until she is lost to him.

* * *

**_a.n:_**

_Yeah if it isn't apparent yet this is definitely a tragic story. Next part will shift to Storybrooke._


	4. Chapter 4

Her fingers curl around the straps of her stilettos and they swing as she hops from foot to foot. It is well past midnight and most of the inhabitants of Storybrooke are asleep. The town does not have much of a night life but where there is one that is where you'll find Ruby. She makes her way from the Rabbit Hole club and around the corner where she stops to lean against a wall, feeling dizzy. She looks up at the moon that appears from behind a cloud and howls. She smiles at herself, about to move when in the distance she is answered by another howl. Ruby leans off the wall, her grin frozen into place.

"Seen a ghost?" A voice asks and she turns sharply to see sheriff Graham. Drunk and a little spooked she sways on her feet towards him and Graham grabs her arm to steady her.

"I heard something howling in the forest."

"Me to. Probably a dog," he says and stares at her kindly. Ruby has known the sheriff for years and in all that time he has never made a move. She is incurably flirtatious but he proves a stubborn partner that will not play ball. He is not a stick in the mud, she knows that but where she is concerned there is an odd distance. Ruby cocks her head and smiles at him.

"Do you ever have a night off?"

"Once in a blue moon," he says with long suffering sigh and Ruby points up at the moon.

"Well it seems you're in luck…come and have a drink with me?" she gestures to the club but Graham shakes his head with a smile.

"Maybe another night,"

"You always say that. Don't you know it's rude to turn down a girl repeatedly?" She asks coyly and he laughs and tugs her around.

"I think you've had enough alcohol for one night."

"Not enough. Sometimes when I leave the club or the diner I close my eyes and wish to walk out into a street somewhere else. New York, London…anywhere but here."

"I know the feeling," he says and half carries her along the street, Ruby leaning heavily against him.

She stares into the distance wistfully while Graham positions her against her car, keeping her upright. When he reaches for the handle next to her hip she gazes at him thoughtfully.

"Maybe I'll just head into the forest and never come back again."

"You do that and I'd find you," he says firmly and she smiles, her mouth blood red.

"Someone sounds confident."

"No one can beat me at tracking," he boasts and manages to unlock the door. She is too drunk to drive so he will have to do it for her. Ruby laughs, which sounds more like a bark.

"Oh I think I'll have to test that. I bet I could find something faster then you, even with heels on."

"One day we'll see but not tonight. Come on, in you get," he settles his hands around her waist and pulls her away from the door and Ruby places her hands on his shoulders for balance. She stares into his eyes and has to stop herself sighing. She has had a crush on him for as long as she can remember but recently that feeling has grown deeper and intensified quite dramatically. She flirts with whomever she likes but with him there is a weight to it, a pressure of anticipation. But he remains oblivious or not interested.

"Every time you drive me home you just sit there…you do like me, don't you?"

"Of course I like you Ruby, you give me free coffee," he says as he struggles to get her into the passenger seat. She gets in ungracefully and then pouts at him through the window.

"Very funny boss," she puffs out a breath and twists in her seat, getting comfortable and watches him get behind the driving wheel. He stares at her pointedly until she reaches for the seatbelt and fumbles to lock it but is unable to. Sighing he reaches across her and clicks the belt into place before doing his own.

"Right then, off we go."

"Back to the same old same old," Ruby grumbles and then straightens in her seat. "Don't take me back straight away; I need to sober up first otherwise she'll chew my ear off."

"I'm not a taxi service," he says gruffly, already heading up the road into the forest.

"Got no money but I'll give you free coffee all this week."

"And pie," he adds and Ruby nods solemnly. He smiles in amusement and they pass a few isolated houses until the road ahead is framed with nothing but trees. Ruby sighs happily and Graham eyes her curiously.

"Didn't take you for a nature lover."

"I'm a lover of anything that isn't that frumpy old town…though I do love the woods."

"And wolves," he says, pointing at the wolf ornament swinging from her mirror. Ruby smiles at it.

"It's my lucky charm. That's the animal I'd like to be reincarnated as. You know wolves are romantic creatures?"

"They are? He watches the road carefully but will swiftly look at her as she speaks. Ruby nods.

"They mate for life…I'd like that. To find someone that makes you feel so whole that you stay with them forever," she whispers and stares out of the window at the trees flicking past, her expression wistful. Graham smiles, gazing at her with a longing he does not register until she suddenly jerks up in her seat with a gasp.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you see that? Stop the car!" she orders, twisting around in her seat.

"Why? What was it?"

"Just stop the car!" she shouts and he complies. The car has barely stopped moving when she unbuckles her seat belt and jumps out. Graham follows with a confused frown. In a tiny skirt and barefooted she walks to the edge of the road and then steps off the path.

"Ruby I wouldn't go in there."

"I saw a wolf," she says and turns back to him practically shaking with excitement. Graham goes to her, looking doubtful.

"It was probably that dog we heard earlier. Come on before you get cold." He takes her arm and begins to pull her away when a howl cries out through the forest. The sound makes both of them freeze and shiver. Whatever is making that noise it is a lonely creature. Ruby smiles in wonder while Graham narrows his eyes, trying to see through the dark.

"Look! Over there, can you see it?" She points and something moves between the trees but Graham can not make it out. He turns to her and takes hold of her hand.

"You must have better vision then me because I can't see anything. Saying that I think we should get back in the car."

She strains against him, leaning towards the woods with a strange longing and he tugs at her hand gently, calling her name. She looks back at him, blinking and seems to come to her senses. As if waking from a spell he leads her back to the car where she gets in.

"I wasn't joking before," she whispers as he starts the engine again. "One day I'll head out there and never come back."

"And I wasn't joking that I'd come after you."

"Why?" she asks, turning to him. She looks confused.

"Because I'm the Sheriff…and because I care what happens to you."

Ruby smiles as he turns to look back at the road and the feeling that had recently grown stronger roots deeper. She does not know how or why but he is the only one in the town to have such an effect on her. Ruby gazes at him sleepily as he drives back into town and stops before Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

"Home sweet home,"

"Brilliant," she mutters grumpily and sits up. She does not get out of the car but turns when he yawns and shrugs at her.

"Well it's either here or one of the cells. I don't know about you but I need a bed."

"You'll sleep here tonight?"

"It's almost three in the morning Ruby; I'm seconds away from falling asleep behind the wheel."

Wincing apologetically she gets out of the car and waits for him to come to her side. Slightly more sober but not steady he helps her to the door where she places a finger to her lips. Feeling like a teenager she motions him to follow her and they walk around the building and through the back yard.

"I shouldn't be sneaking in," Graham whispers. "I'm the Sheriff."

"Live a little," she counters and grins. Before they reach the back door she turns and he almost walks into her. Ruby places her hands against his chest and stares up at him coquettishly.

"You're not that much older then me and I don't think I repulse you, do I?"

"What? Of course you don't."

She does not miss the way his eyes venture downwards before snapping back to her eyes.

"Then kiss me." As confident as she seems it hides a well of insecurities and she only dares ask because she is drunk. Truth of the matter is she is confused. Where Graham is concerned there is an invisible wall between them, barring any contact. He is, for some reason she can not guess, off limits. Graham blinks, not knowing how to respond. Finally he smiles.

"If I did your grandmother would skin and stuff me like one of her taxidermy animals."

Ruby laughs quietly, knowing that she probably would at least try, sheriff or not. Shaking her head she stares at him with an open vulnerability and he blinks, growing serious. He reaches up and brushes a lock of red hair away from her cheek and slowly bends down to her. But as he does she leans back and the door creaks open, making them sprawl into the kitchen.

"Shit," Ruby swears and then presses a finger to her mouth, shushing herself. Graham straightens and listens but there is no sound of anyone approaching. They look at each other, thinking of the kiss that almost was and the wall between them becomes more solid. He smiles politely and takes a few steps back.

"We should get some sleep," he whispers and Ruby nods, smiling to cover her disappointment.

"Sure. I'll take you to a room." Their kiss thwarted she does not admit defeat. So in a daring move she locates him in a room opposite her own, luckily well away from Granny. She leans against her door frame and he turns to face her and all manner of erotic scenarios fill her mind. He must see this on her face because he smiles thinly in bemusement.

"Goodnight."

"Night Sheriff…I'm sorry," she says quickly and he cocks an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"If I come on strong. I know you're hands off."

"Am I? Why do you say that?"

"Well because of you and the mayor," her voice catches and she has to hide her distaste. Graham licks his lips, looking guilty.

"Me and the mayor?"

"Please," Ruby utters scornfully. "The whole town knows. You're her booty call."

"I'm her what?" he laughs in outrage and Ruby shrugs, starting to feel a little sick.

"Never mind. I just want you to know I don't fool around with men who are attached," she say it lightly but something inside shrivels up at her words. What she is saying is right but it doesn't mask her hurt or jealousy.

Graham stares at her, "Good to know but I'm not attached to anyone."

"That makes two of us." Ruby fumbles for the door handle and smiles at Graham. "Goodnight."

He nods and before she knows what is happening he leans forward and brushes his lips against her cheek. The kiss lasts all of two seconds but when his lips touch her skin she is beset with a flood of emotions and she reels. Graham stumbles back, suddenly breathing hard, and bids her goodnight in a breathless voice. She watches him enter his room and close the door before slumping against her own. The feelings that cascaded through her were intense and in that moment she did not just feel attracted to the sheriff or even have a crush on him. She loved him, completely and without question.

"I must be drunk as hell…"

She looks down at her bare feet and shakes her head with a sad smile before going into her room. That night she dreams of running through the forest, carefree and happy with someone at her side before her dreams turn into something more lascivious and she wakes in the morning feeling an odd mix of satisfaction and frustration.

* * *

Judging by the sun pouring though the curtain it is near midday when she wakes and with a thumping head she makes her way to the bathroom to wash. Feeling a little more human she exits the bathroom, gathering her hair up and almost elbows Graham in the face.

"Sorry! I didn't see you!" she lowers her hands and stares at him apologetically. He opens his mouth to answer and then stops, his face growing blank. He gawks at her and Ruby looks down self consciously. She is dressed in red shorts and a vest for bed and there is not an ounce of makeup on her. Feeling almost naked under his eyes she looks back up and smiles uncomfortably.

"What?"

"Sorry," he mutters and shakes his head, tries to look away but can't. He smiles softly in wonder. "I almost didn't recognise you but when I did…I don't know it was like I thought you were someone else. That sounds crazy…"

"Just a bit," she looks down at her feet, her nails painted a deep shade of rose. Which she thinks must match her face now. "I never go out without makeup, only my Gran sees me like this. It's stupid to feel like this."

"You are beautiful." Ruby looks up quickly, her mouth open, and even Graham appears taken aback by his words. But then he smoothes his features, "I mean you always are." Ruby says nothing, just smiles at him and he rubs the back of his head and looks down the hallway. "I need to get back to the station."

"Right…thanks Graham, for taking me home."

"No problem. I'll see you around," he heads towards the stairs but turns to take another look at her. Ruby rolls her eyes, inwardly overwhelmed by his reaction.

"Have I got something on my face?"

"No! I'm going now," he says and almost trips down the stairs. Ruby laughs and comes forward.

"Okay but come by later for your free pie."

"Oh yeah, my repayment," he smiles at her cheekily and she has to stop herself sighing in contentment. As he disappears down the stairs Ruby wonders what is wrong with her and tells herself to get a grip. Walking into her room she stares at herself in the mirror and smiles, happier then she has been in weeks.

* * *

Months later, after the arrival of Emma and the first cracks in the curse appear, Ruby finds Graham slumped against his car, his eyes wide and spooked. Restricted in her heels and skirt she comforts him as best she can and he grabs hold of her hand as if he is drowning.

"I saw a wolf!"

"What?"

"There was wolf, it went that way," he points a shaking hand down a dark side street and Ruby stares but can not see anything. But instead of doubting his claim she bites her lip and voices something she has never even told Archie, her therapist.

"Did it have white fur?"

Graham gazes up at her open mouthed and then slowly stands, using the car and Ruby for support. "How do you know that?"

"Because I've been seeing a white wolf for months. Rememberer that night you drove me home? Ever since then I've been seeing him everywhere. I thought I was going nuts..."

"So do I..." he gazes at her wonderingly and laces his fingers through hers. Ruby takes a better look at him and is shocked by what she sees. Dark circles ring his red eyes and his skin is sweaty. Earlier he had been oddly amped up, taking shot after shot but she never thought he was ill. She lifts a hand to his face and feels how hot he is.

"Graham you don't look good. I think you should see a doctor."

"I'm fine," he mumbles, staring intensely down the street the wolf went.

"Do you want me to call Emma?"

"No!" he yells and looks back at her in alarm and Ruby averts her gaze.

Since that day when they kissed and he had been stunned by her beauty things had been odd between them. She had carried on as if nothing had happened, not wanting to pursue something she knows is unlikely and save herself from heartbreak. He had continued sleeping with Regina and now with Emma here that sweet scene on the landing seems a million years ago. The truth of the matter is even if there was no one standing in her way something would stop her and that something is herself. Her confidence is largely an illusion, able to be wiped away like her make up that she painstakingly applies. Underneath she is fragile. He is a respected sheriff, Regina's lover and now possibly Emma's. She's just a brash waitress…but even that is an illusion. In her heart she knows that she is more, someone brave and free and content. But like the wall between her and Graham something will not let her be this person and it drives her restless.

"Don't worry about it," she says and moves away but he pulls her back.

"Remember when I saw you without any make up on and I said I recognised you as someone else?"

"Yeah...?" Ruby blinks, thrown by his words.

"Well I feel like that again, only this time about myself. I feel like there's two of me. I'm in a forest and it's my home. I'm a hunter, I think." She gazes at him open mouthed, not knowing what to say and he takes her silence the wrong way. He holds his head in his hands and sighs. "Forget about it, I'm talking crazy."

"No, I believe you. You have no idea..." she utters in a shaking voice and he lowers his hands in surprise. She leans closer to him and whispers, "Remember when I said that I'd like to go into the wood and never come back? That wasn't a threat or coming from a dark place. I feel like I belong there, like the other half of me is out there and I just need enough guts to go find her. Sometimes, when the moon is full I feel..." she trails off, unable to put what she feels into words.

Graham blinks in wonder and lowers his hands against her shoulders. "That's what I want to do. I have to follow the wolf and then I'll know what the hell is going on."

"I won't stop you but right now you need rest. Sleep and then you can go on as many spirit guide walks as you want. Come on," she takes his hand and motions towards the B&B but he doesn't move. His eyes, so feverish in the light, gaze at her intently.

"Thank you for believing me."

"No problem. Lets go, I'm freezing."

This motivates him into moving and they make their way down the street in silence, Graham occasionally looking back for the wolf until they get to the B&B. She shows him into the same bedroom he slept in last time and wishes the distracted sheriff goodnight. Finally in her own bed she stares up at the ceiling, unable to get him out of her thoughts until she resorts to pacing, completely restless. Confessing to him that she believes she is another person is liberating but now all she wants is to confess the rest of her heart. She even opens her door and stands before his but she is smothered with a bout of insecurity and almost gives in to it. But the curse that withholds so much of her life grows weaker everyday and without thinking she knocks. Immediately it opens and he stares at her and she knows without a doubt he had been on the other side, fighting the same battle.

She does not give him the chance to speak. Sliding her hand around the back of his head she leans up and kisses hard. Instantly she feels a flood of love for him, intense and passionate and she gasps into his mouth. But along with that comes a wave of sadness. She breaks away in confusion and he cups her face and wipes her wet cheeks with his thumbs.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just feel really...I don't know."

"I saw something when you kissed me," he whispers, gazing into her eyes. "I saw a wolf but not the white one. This one was dark and she had gold eyes and..." he trails off, frowning in confusion and then lets his eyes roam hungrily over her bare face. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," she whispers and leans up towards him but he shakes his head, eyes blazing with torment.

"I can't, not after tonight."

"Oh..." she moves back, dropping her hands to her sides.

"It's just that it wouldn't be fair. My life is a mess and I can't drag you into it to."

Ruby nods, knowing that he is talking about Regina and Emma. She does not like the mayor but Emma is her friend and she will not ruin that or make things awkward. She shakes her head, trying to smile. "It's fine, forget it. This was a mistake. As if you and me..."

"No, don't think that," he pulls her back to him and smooths her hair back from her face. She averts her eyes, unable to look at him. Graham makes a growl of frustration. "I don't understand what's happening to me but I want you to know that if things were different we would be out of this town and running free."

Ruby smiles faintly and looks up. "Together?"

"Of course. Us wolves have to stick together."

"You're a wolf now? I thought you were a huntsman?"

"My day job but I can howl as good as you," he says and though she knows he is trying to deflect the awkwardness with humour she smiles anyway.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise. Once you're feeling better we'll head out into the woods together. Agree?"

"Absolutely," he says and shakes her hand and keeps hold. Just as she's about to turn away he pulls her back and kisses her chastely on the lips and this time the emotions that flow through her are tinged with a bittersweetness. He pulls back an inch, his eyes gazing into hers and a soft gleam of acceptance shines there. He lowers his mouth to hers again but before their lips touch a creak from the stairs and a flare of light has them stumbling apart.

"Ruby? Is that you?"

"Yes Gran, go back to sleep," she calls and the light from downstairs flicks off, accompanied by irritated grumbles. Ruby and Graham stare at each other, a sea of emotion that neither of them can navigate or understand between them. As they wish each other goodnight they have no idea of how much they truly mean to each other and can only grasp at fragments. Both feeling like they are on a precipice and almost touching the truth they take one lingering glance before closing their respective doors.

* * *

**_a.n:_**

_sorry for the wait, this chapter proved tricky. The first half was fine but the second I rewrote a few times and wondered if should include it at all. I wanted it to be canon complacent but also something that falls in line with my story. The curse is keeping them apart, Graham because of his tangled love life and Ruby because of her insecurity. Kissing each other gives them back bits and pieces of their old lives but not enough and of course Graham was already enchanted to forget her. So again it's sad but I hope the first half was nice._

_Epilogue to come..._


	5. Chapter 5

After the Curse is broken by True Love's kiss the inhabitants find themselves aware of their true identities in an instant. Some walk the streets in a daze, their minds inundated by the truth that does not fit into the normal Maine town where they thought they belonged. Amongst these stunned drifters some run with a feverish purpose, shouting out odd names as they search the town for their lost loved ones. These people are consumed by the truth but slowly more and more begin to look upon the town with resentment and finally towards the Mayor's house.

A mob runs down the main street, shouting angrily and Red is caught up in the rushing crowd with her grandmother. The people around her are screaming, she can practically smell the rage on them, but all Red is aware of is a low droning noise in her head and it drowns out everything else. The mob push between her and Granny — who is as eager to reach the Queen's house as anyone — and finds herself buffeted to the side and clear. She turns dazedly, staring around the street and then begins to walk into the woods without looking back.

* * *

Her memory had returned like a thunderclap, brilliant and instant and the shock of it had dazed her to the details that have so enraged the rest of Storybrooke. Only two things occupy her thoughts: her true nature and Graham. The red cloak and the Huntsman. She has a choice between them, she knows that each is important but her feet lead her through the gates of the town's cemetery and she stops before a grave.

_Graham Humbert_

She had stood in this spot not three months ago, crying and heartbroken but eventually she had gotten over it. She had told herself that whatever burgioning feelings she had felt were just the result of a crush. Red stares at the stone and her knees give way and she reaches forward with a shaking hand to touch the smooth stone. It is only when she feels the solid proof that she starts to cry hysterically, her fingers digging into the grass and she lies forward, bent over by her grief. Memories of their lives together, those fleeting happy months beside the lake and then their eventual separation play around her mind endlessly. They had shared a few months together but here in this world they had seen each other everyday for almost thirty years but with no idea of their past. All that time they could have had together, even under a curse, all those chances lost. They could have been together if only the Curse was broken sooner but now they never will. The unfairness of it makes her feel worse then sick or heartbroken, it transcends those feelings.

She has no idea how long she lies there weeping when something makes her look up sharply. Something strange is approaching on the air and she stands weakly, her face blotchy and streaked with mascara. As she looks through the trees a flock of birds burst overhead and fly away and Red takes a step back, sensing that she should follow suit. But she can not move and stays by his grave. As she looks down miserably another noise makes her turn and through the trees she sees something coming to a stop.

Her eyesight is sharp, her hearing acute and even at a distance she can see clearly what it is. The white wolf watches her curiously through the trees but keeps his distance. At the sight of him, finally realising who he is, Red feels a numb sort of warmth spread through her. He had been looking out for her, for both of them, but she had no idea. Red steps forward but the wolf turns, about to flee and without thinking about it Red utters a short sharp whistle and the wolf comes to her. She had heard Graham whistle for Shadow many times and she watches in muted wonder as the wolf comes to her. Soft fur brushes her fingertips and she buries her hands deep, falling to her knee beside the lean animal. Red looks down at the grave and knows without a doubt that the white wolf had been here at the graveside, standing guard over his dead friend.

"He's gone," she whispers and knows that it is true but a part of her can not accept it. Instead she turns her grief to another person and instantly in boils into fury. Emma had told her that Graham had suffered a heart attack but Red knows the truth. He had been murdered.

She looks back down at the town, her gaze predatory, but before she can stand the strange sensation she sensed before suddenly fills her mind and she and wolf tense as it comes raging towards them. Through the trees a massive purple cloud billows, rolling towards them and all Red can do is cover the wolf with her arms and press her face against his side as the cloud engulfs them.

* * *

The mob has the Queen hemmed into her home and trapped. There are shouts to burn the witch and people race to find things to burn. Gasoline and matches would do but no one truly wants to comment murder, even against someone like her. As the mob shouts outside the house the people at the rear of the crowd gasp and shriek and suddenly the mob parts down the middle, crying out in terror. Through the crowd two wolves lope ahead slowly, one white with odd eyes and the other massive and dark. The crowd watches in shock as the wolves stop before the locked door and begin to howl. The noise is so loud that people cover their ears and some even run away.

"…Red?" Granny splutters and looks up at the blue sky. There is no moon. She looks back at the wolf, her granddaughter and whirls around on the mob. "GO! RUN! Do you hear me? I said run!"

There is a pause before the crowd turns on their heels and flees. In the mansion Regina watches the mob running away and opens the window to peer down. She heard the howls and knew why.

"My, what big teeth you have," The Queen simpers and then laughs. Both wolves growl at her and she laughs harder.

"What have you done?!" Shouts Granny, glaring upwards.

"Me? Nothing. Magic is back and unpredictable. I would take a guess and say that your lovely granddaughter can now turn at will. I think someone is in need of certain red cloak, don't you?"

With one last smirk she bangs the window closed and Granny lowers her head to look at the wolves. The white one nuzzles at Red, as if in sympathy and the bigger wolf makes a keening noise that wrenches something inside Granny painfully. Wolf or not her granddaughter is suffering.

"Red? Ruby? Whatever you want to call yourself…I don't know if you can understand me —" The big wolf utters a short bark and stares at the old women keenly. Granny narrows her eyes. "Maybe you can. You need your cloak Red, do you know where it is? Sniff it out."

Red stills and then suddenly shots down the garden path and out into the street, the other wolf close behind. Puffing to keep up Granny watches the two of them streak across the road, towards the main street until she sees them coming to a stop outside Mr Gold's shop.

_Of course that is where it is_, Granny thinks, faintly remembering seeing a red cloak in there. But then she had been none the wiser. Following her nose Red finds the cloak and slinks through the open door. Frowning and not a little scared Granny enters the shop after the wolves. She knows who this place truly belongs to and it is not a place one should linger. Red locates the cloak immediately and tugs it down from a manikin. Granny picks it up and, giving the large wolf one last look, she throws the cloak over her. A wave of light passes over the garment and the shape of the wolf transforms into that of a woman.

"Red? Red?" She calls and helps the trembling woman to stand. Haunted gold eyes regard her and Granny thinks that they will remain that colour for the rest of her life now. She can also see that Red is holding back tears. She takes Red into her arms, rubbing her back and making soothing noises.

"He's dead," she mumbles against her shoulder and Granny pulls back. "I never told you about him. I didn't want you to worry about me…"

"Who?" Granny asks and in a halting and wavering voice Red tells her about Graham. The old woman listens mutely but as she does her stern expression becomes soft until there are tears in her eyes.

"We never knew, never had any idea…if only we had known in time. All that time…" she sobs and Granny pulls her into her arms again.

"It's tragic, isn't it?" says a voice and they both turn to see Gold with a ragged looking young woman entering. He smiles at them, in fact he's practically beaming. Granny narrows her eyes.

"That cloud was your doing, wasn't it?"

Gold offers a mock bow, "I stand guilty." He eyes the red cloak around Red's shoulders. "Yes, it seems you will be needing that."

"No deals, not again," Granny says severely and Red frowns at her. Gold looks between them with a brief smile.

"Your cloak was enchanted by me and handed over in a fair deal," he says simply and Red frowns at him.

"What deal?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, not today. Oh you look so sad…I'm sorry for your loss," he says with surprising sincerity. Red looks at him and comes closer. He smells wrong, like the cloud that had covered her and made her change but he is powerful and she is desperate.

"I know about you, what you can do. Can…can you bring back the dead?"

"Alas I cannot. Though I confess I am a man of many skills that is one I do not possess nor does anyone else."

Red slumps and the brown haired woman who stands beside Gold comes forward and smiles at her hesitantly and gently asks, "Have you lost someone?"

Red nods and a tear rolls off her nose. "My true love…" suddenly she laughs but it is an awful sound. "What a joke. Happy endings?" She worries at the corner of the cloak, her gaze downwards. "I could leave, just take this off and never come back. It would be easier. All though…" her face crumples, "He said that he would be by my side." She cries softly and the white wolf brushes against her legs, echoing her sad moans. Belle looks at Red sadly and takes Gold's hand.

"Isn't there anything you can do for her?"

"No, not without a price."

Belle frowns at him, "Why? Why does pity need a price? If you can help her do it."

"There's nothing I can do. I can't bring back the dead," he says through gritted teeth and slips his hand from hers to limp behind the cash register. But Belle is not deterred.

"What about the well? You said that it has the power to return what was lost to us?"

At this Red's head shoots up and she stares between them with a half hidden hope. "Wh — what well?"

Gold grinds his teeth and then smiles at Belle, shaking his head in bemusement, "What my love is talking about may be of no use to you. You may only find more heartache."

"But it might help me?" Red says, coming forward and her gold eyes shine in the gloom of the shop.

"I can't make any promises but…If you cast a wish into the well it comes true, not matter what, barring resurrection."

For the first time since the curse broke Red smiles and even Gold blinks at the ferocity in it. "If it doesn't work I will be coming back for her heart."

Gold grins and shakes his head, "Though the thought fills me with pleasure I'm afraid her Majesty is mine. She has a lot to answer for and she will." He gazes at Belle who is drifting around the shop, staring at the trinkets before looking back to Red. "I will give you one piece of advice. Choose your wish carefully and remember who we really are. We are figures of fairytale and whimsy and we exist in many realms. The rules that govern people here don't apply to every world...just something to consider," he winks and turns away and Red rushes past Belle and out of the door, the wolf and her Granny following.

Rumpelstiltskin sighs and after allowing himself a few minutes watching Belle he jumps into action. He has an Evil Queen to deal with…

* * *

High in the forest, almost the highest point in the town, sits a small well. It is unassuming and gives no hint to the power that it holds. Red comes to stand before it and peers down into the depths. Even with her acute sight the bottom is murky but she can hear water running below. In the pocket of her cloak she finds a sliver of silver and smiles at it before closing her eyes. Her wish must be perfect because only one can be granted. Everything rides on it so she spends several minutes thinking, Gold's words running through her mind. As the sun sinks she opens her eyes and with her breath trapped in her chest she lets the silver fall from her fingers into the well. Seconds later she hears it hitting the water and she steps back.

"What did you wish for?" Granny asks and Red turns to her.

"That when we die we go back home," she utters softly, her eyes gleaming.

"Back to the Enchanted Forest? You think whoever has died here will be back there now?"

"That's what I wished for. Gold said that there are many worlds and they have their own rules. Who's to say people like us don't operate under different ones? We're figures of imagination, we don't really die."

"I hope you're right but Red…we're stuck here, we haven't gone back."

"Then I'll have to find something or someone to do it."

Granny watches her granddaughter walking away, now more wolf then she has ever been, with an air of almost zealous purpose and prays that Graham is back in their now empty world, waiting for them to return.

* * *

**_a.n:_**

_The End!_

_So as you can see I've ended it on an optimistic note. I think using a certain Hat she gets back but whether Graham is there to greet her is up to you ;)_

_Thanks for all the feedback; this ship is tiny so people commenting on it has been brilliant. Thanks again!_


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